[Ads-l] Hot snakes and hot spiders, plus scorpions

[Emily Gordon]

Further temperature note on hot spiders:

Date: November 9, 2006
Website: Science News Explores [Society for Science & the Public]
Article: Hot Pepper, Hot Spider
Author: Emily Sohn
Link:
https://www.snexplores.org/article/hot-pepper-hot-spider

[Begin excerpt]

Hot peppers and painful spider bites don’t seem to have much in common.
Both, however, can cause a similar burning sensation.

New research now suggests a reason why. A chemical in hot peppers and
different ones in spider venom happen to activate the same pain sensors in
cells.

[End excerpt]

Note: While pursuing hot scorpions, I learned that “venomous” and
“poisonous” aren’t synonyms. While all scorpions are venomous, only a few
are poisonous. What’s more…

Date: June 12, 2023
Website: The University of Arizona Health Sciences
Article: What to Know About Scorpion Stings
Author: [Medical toxicologist] Anne-Michelle Ruha, MD, University of
Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix
Link:
https://healthsciences.arizona.edu/news/blog/what-you-need-know-about-scorpion-stings

[Begin excerpt]

In North America, only one scorpion is dangerous to humans – the Arizona
bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus).

It is small, just a couple inches in length, and is the only scorpion that
produces envenomation syndrome. Envenomation is when a toxin from a
venomous creature is injected into a person, who then develops clinical
signs and symptoms that range from mild to severe.

There are other scorpion species in the Southwest that can sting you,
causing pain, skin irritation or swelling, but no other species in the U.S.
causes envenomation.
[End excerpt]

I suppose a rabid canine is a hot dog (sorry).

On Wed, Aug 19, 2026 at 7:04 AM Jonathan Lighter <
00001aad181a2549-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> "Hot" has long been a synonym for "radioactive" - but I guess the
> snakes came first.
>
> JL
>
> On Tue, Aug 18, 2026 at 9:39 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
> <00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Jeff Prucher wrote:
> > >  The 1951 and 1963 citations seem to have an additional
> > > refinement -- snakes of a venomous species that haven't
> > > had their venom glands removed.
> >
> > Yes, those citations display a more sophisticated notion of poisonous.
> >
> > While searching I came across some entertaining citations. In November
> > 1962 the term hot snake was applied to a poisonous and radioactive
> > snake.
> >
> > Before this article appeared, Peter Parker was famously bitten by a
> > poisonous and radioactive spider in the August 1962 issue of Amazing
> > Fantasy.
> >
> > Date: November 25, 1962
> > Newspaper: The State Journal Register
> > Newspaper Location: Springfield, Illinois
> > Section: Family Weekly
> > Article: I Was Bitten by a King Cobra — and Lived
> > Author: William E. Haast (Director of Miami Serpentarium)
> > Quote Page 6, Column 4
> > Database: Newspapers.com
> >
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/illinois-state-register-atomic/204125377/
> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > Right now, I am looking forward to a new atomic-age study involving
> > snake venoms. A nationally known research foundation wants me to make
> > cobras radioactive and then extract their venom. If one of these "hot"
> > snakes bites me, I might become a new kind of human guinea pig. It
> > should be interesting.
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > Sometimes a "hot snake" was a stolen snake or a high-temperature snake.
> >
> > Garson
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
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